Box Score
By STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer
WACO, Texas (AP) - Brandon McKnight scored six of his 23 points in a game-turning run just before halftime and No. 21 Purdue went on to beat Baylor 76-65 Saturday.
Baylor (5-7), with just 10 players in uniform after senior starters Terrance Thomas and R.T. Guinn were ruled academically ineligible, stayed close until the Boilermakers went on a 14-5 run in the final 5:14 of the first half.
McKnight, who was averaging just 7.5 points a game, scored more than 20 for the second straight game. Consecutive baskets after Baylor turnovers gave the Boilermakers (10-3) their first double-figure lead, 30-19.
Purdue had lost two of its three previous games, including 71-69 at Colorado State on Tuesday.
Ivan Kartelo's free throw started the half-ending spurt and a turnover led to McKnight's driving reverse layup. After Baylor lost the ball again, McKnight passed back-and-forth with Austin Parkinson before another layup.
McKnight also hit a jumper before halftime. Then after Kartelo missed an inside shot, McKnight rebounded and passed to Kenneth Lowe for a 3-pointer that gave Purdue a 39-24 halftime lead.
Baylor trailed by as many as 22 points in the second half, and managed to close to 68-57 on Corey Herring's jumper with five minutes left that capped a 15-5 run. The closest the Bears got was 72-65 on Harvey Thomas' 3-pointer with 20 seconds left.
Thomas led Baylor with 16 points, and Tommy Swanson had 14. They were among four starters who played 36 minutes each.
Matt Keifer added 13 points for Purdue, while Brett Buscher had 12 points and Kartelo 13 rebounds. The Boilermakers, 10-3 for the third time in four seasons, open Big Ten play Wednesday at Iowa.
Without 11-game starters Terrance Thomas and Guinn, and junior guard Ellis Kidd (13.3 ppg in seven starts) - dismissed from the team Dec. 16 for violating team policy - first-year coach Scott Drew has just five scholarship players.
Baylor has one more game before opening Big 12 play at No. 19 Texas next weekend.
